Forbidden
by rawrzinyoface
Summary: All the provinces of Hyrule are divided. King Harkinian wants peace. Link & Zelda must face a world of lust, forbidden love, and war. Based off of Tristan & Isolde the movie, with my own twists. Link x Zelda.
1. Prologue

**So here goes. I have a bad track record with finishing stories, but I REALLY want to finish this one.  
>This story is rated M for sexual content in later chapters, as well as a small amount of violence.<br>I just love Link and Zelda and Hyrule as a whole.**

**This story is based off the movie Tristan & Isolde, however I am going to add my own input into it, and also I wanted to suit the story more to Hyrule. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: The world of Zelda does not belong to me.**

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><p>The six provinces of Hyrule were supposed to be united. That's what King Harkinian wanted anyway. At one point, they were in fact, but years of bickering and war led to much conflict between each faction. Hyrule was no longer a Kingdom, even if they did have a King.<p>

In fact, civil war had plagued the country for over 100 years now. It wasn't safe to leave the comfort of your own lands and doing so would surely create unwanted consequences. Of course, this meant that traveling to see the King in Castle Town was out of the question, and trade between the provinces was almost unheard of.

King Harkinian was sure there was no hope, and his advisor, Ganondorf was convinced that an epic war was the only way to get each part of the country to bow to one almighty King. King Harkinian yearned for peace, even if that meant he had to become allies with one province at a time. His royal status meant little to nothing outside his own castle, for the Lord of each province was the true ruler in his own realm. The only hope was for them to all unite under one King, or the kingdom of Hyrule would surely be lost forever.

Unfortunately, unbeknownst to the King, his advisor had his own agenda, and uniting each of the countries was far from his desires. In fact, he wanted nothing more to tear Hyrule apart, piece by piece, and if that meant using the King as his puppet, then so be it.

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><p>Ganondorf sat in his quarters contemplating a solution to the King's newest endeavor. His dark skin had a shadow over it, and his face was cursed with a constant frown. His large build seemed too dark and overbearing to be sitting in such a lovely place like the castle. The Hyrulian King had come up with an idea to hold a forum of sorts for each of the provinces to sign some sort of treaty that would unite them as a whole.<p>

Each province would send a representative to meet in the Castle and discuss the concerns of their inhabitants. With this forum would come a promise that each delegate sent would be ensured safe travel to the castle and back- no matter the outcome of the royal meeting.

Ganon had his doubts that any would even show up, however, he was going to make sure that no one did. The King had been very reluctant to listen to Ganon's advice; however, he was sure that if the King's plan was to falter, so would his stubbornness.

"ZANT!" Ganon's thunderous voice echoed across the east wing of the castle. Within a few moments, Ganon's most loyal and ruthless warrior was bowing in front of him. He slowly took off his fish-like helmet that he wore in battle and bowed his head, resting his arm on his knee. Looking more like a skeletal creature than a man, Zant was hardly a sight for sore eyes. In fact, many would argue that he wasn't even a Hyrulian. However, being head of the Royal Guard (and Ganon's most loyal servant), no one even really looked him in the eye let alone commented on his physical appearance.

"Your Royal Highness." Ganon nodded and Zant stood up to face his leader.

"I need you to do something for me."

Zant hesitated before speaking, "You're excellence. Have I been nothing but a humble servant to you?"

Ganon's gaze hardened but he let Zant continue to speak.

"Before I go on another long journey that takes me away from home, may I ask for something in return? I have just returned from a month long conquest. I grow weary thinking of more time away from the castle."

Ganon still did not speak for several seconds before he looked Zant directly in the eyes. "And what would that be Sir Zant? What is so important that you dare delay my request?"

Zant bowed his head lower. It was strange seeing such a strong man look so small and desperate. "My lord, you know I would go to the ends of the Earth for you, I ask for a simple request: The Princess Zelda's hand in marriage." Zant's jaw and fists began to clench as he lowered his voice. It was no secret that the princess was beautiful. She would have had many suitors by now if it wasn't for the war the plagued their country. "She teases me my lord. If it weren't for your need for the King, I would have taken her by now. I know you are his advisor, I ask that you please guide him in the right direction."

Ganon stood in silence before raising an eyebrow at Ganon. "I will see that your request is considered, however only if you succeed on the quest I'm about to give you." Ganondorf stood up and crossed in front of his heavy wooden desk to where Zant was standing, he could have been a giant in comparison to the warrior in front of him.

"The King has asked a representative from each Province to accompany him in a conference. He asked for each Province to show courtesy to each other in hopes that this forum will end a war that has gone on for a century. You and your men must ensure that the representatives from the Ordona and Eldin provinces do not make it to the castle, and furthermore, you must make it look like they killed each other. You may simply injure the others, but they mustn't know it was you. They must think that each province broke their promise to keep the peace while this conference took place. I will talk to the King about your request. No get out of my sight and do as you were told."

Zant did no more than nod, before he was out the door. It would only be a few days before each province would send someone their way, and he needed to be ready.

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><p>"NO!" Zelda's beautiful face was full of digust. " Father, I will not marry that barbarian." Her gaze made its way to Ganon's face. "This is all your fault."<p>

"Zelda." King Harkinian's tone was strong but steady. "As the future ruler of this Kingdom, you will do as I say. Ganon has offered the idea of giving your hand to Zant. I can't say that I argue with his reasoning. Zant has been head of the royal guard and has done nothing but protect this castle from falling to ruins."

"But father I-" The king raised his hand, "No, more Zelda. You may go."

And with that, Zelda stormed out of the throne room and to her quarters, her long blonde hair flowing behind her.

As she arrived in her bed chamber, she began to look for things in various chests and draws. "Impa. I'm leaving this place. You may choose to come with me, or you can stay here. I won't wait for your decision." Zelda began to pack some of her things in ransack without so much as a glance towards her maid.

"Your highness, if I may say so, I don't believe this is all that bad. I'm sure Zant will be a great husband to you."

Zelda stopped her packing to look up at Impa. "No. You may not say so, Impa. Zant is a barabarian, and he is nothing more than a minion to that despicable man my father calls and advisor. I don't love him, and I don't think I ever could. I can't take this anymore, no- I won't take this anymore. So, are you coming with me or not?"

Impa bowed her head silently as if she were giving up. The princess was a very stubborn young woman, and once her mind was made up, there wasn't much else one could do besides trying to keep her as safe as possible. "Of course I will your majesty."


	2. Memories

Far from the stirrings in the castle, turmoil weighed down on the southern province Ordona. The leader of the province, Lord Rusl, along with many colleagues sat at a round table discussing an invitation that had arrived earlier that day.

Rusl, had been the leader of their province for years now after the death of Lord Bo and several others in Ordon village. He was one of the few leaders that also wanted peace and unity for Hyrule. With the King's age increasing, there was little time for a new King to step up to the throne. Having a strong leader was Hyrule's last hope and with no second for the King, the country would be left in ruins after his death.

Link sat next to Rusl, with his hand on his forehead. The young man didn't talk much and all the shouting was giving him a headache. His jaw clenched as many of the men of village argued on whether it was even a good idea to attempt to travel to Hyrule castle.

He didn't particularly like loud noises, and all of this bickering caused him to feel dizzy. He looked over at Rusl, whom had a concerned look etched on his face.

Rusl, was very much like a father to Link- although he wouldn't exactly describe him as such. Often, thinking of how Rusl became his caretaker was a rough subject for the both of them. Soon though, Link was brought back to when he was 7 years old. This, after all, was not the first time the King had called a royal conference.

_A young Link sat next to his father in the front of the carriage he was driving. His mother was in the back along with Rusl's wife Uli who was currently pregnant. Rusl rode horseback behind the carriage for safety reasons. Link's mother was the village healer and was looking after Uli during her pregnancy_

_They were all traveling to Hyrule Castle for the first time in all of their lives. A royal meeting was called to provinces in hopes of settling years of war and turmoil._

"_Father?" Link's father turned to look at him. "Yes son?"_

"_Do you think I'll get to meet the Princess?"_

_"Perhaps my boy! Though I'm sure she's heavily guarded. Especially with all these new people coming to the castle."_

_"Do you think she's pretty? I bet she's the prettiest girl in the entire world!"Link raised his hands up and smiled. He was always somewhat of a dreamer._

_Link's father chuckled to himself. "I'm sure she's certainly a sight to-"_

_Before Link's father could manage to respond, Rusl was yelling. "WE ARE BEING AMBUSHED!"_

_His father attempted to turn the carriage away from the mayhem, however it was too late. The back had already been set on fire with a flaming arrow, both Uli and Link's mother inside. Link's father pulled the horses to a halt before trying to run to the back of the carriage. Before he could make it to save his wife, he was shot in the back with an arrow, falling to the ground. He hit it with a loud thud._

_Link hurriedly ran to the carriage, about to jump inside and save his mother, before a hand on his tunic pulled him back. The smell of burning flesh was prominent and it burned his nostrils._

_Link turned around to see Rusl, holding his shirt."I'm sorry my boy. You wouldn't have been able to help them anyway."Rusl was trying to be strong, though Link could already see the tears welling up in his eyes. He had not only lost his wife, but his unborn child as well._

_Rusl was still trying fight off the attackers. Luckily there weren't many of them._

_Unable to understand what was going on around him, Link ran to his father and knelt next to him. His long blonde hair was covering his face, and Link could already tell that no breathe was escaping the man's lips._

_He looked down at his father as tears began to well up in his eyes. Before the shock of losing both of his parents could hit him fully, he heard Rusl scream his name and jump in front of him. Before Link could see where the attacker was, Rusl had already stabbed it square in the stomach._

_With everyone around them dead, including those who ambushed them, both Rusl and the young boy stood silent as they watched the fire engulf the carriage that was riding happily along only a few moments before._

Link snapped out of his trance only because of a loud shout by Jaggle. Rusl and Link had come home that night to find that their village had been attacked as well. Lord Bo was murdered, along with several others in the village. Of course, since then no one had even attempted another conference among the provinces. Most assumed that the one of the other factions were at fault for the death of so many in the Ordona province.

"This has happened before. Who is to say that we won't lose more of our people? Who is to say that the other provinces won't attack? Rusl," Jaggle turned to look at the weary man. "Uli … and your baby. You can't say that you don't-"

"Enough." Rusl raised his hand to silence the man as well as the rest of the room. "I'll admit it was a bad decision to believe that we were safe when traveling to the castle the last time. However, I do think that someone should go to this forum. If we do not act towards unity, we will never achieve it."

The room stood silent before Fado stood up and spoke. "But who will we send, surely we can't send the whole village. Nor can we send you as our leader."

Rusl nodded. "This is true. I have thought about this all night." Rusl turned and looked down at Link. His features were strong, but the look on his face was unapologetic. "I propose that we send Link."

Link looked at Rusl. He had always known that Rusl believed in him; however he hardly thought that he was anything close to being a diplomat. Sure, he knew his way around a sword. But in no way did that make him a litigator.

Fado chuckled. "Link? How can we expect such a quiet boy to represent our province? He wouldn't know the first thing about politics. "

Rusl looked over at Fado. "Yes, Link can be rather hushed at times. However, that doesn't mean he is a mute. He is nearing 20 years of age and can hardly be considered a boy for what he has been through. Link will have our best interest at heart. I can instruct Link on what to say during the forum. However, I do believe that his skills with a sword and bow will prove to be the most useful in case there is an ambush again."

Link, never being one to turn down a challenge stood up from his chair, his sandy blonde hair sliding in front of his eyes. "I will accept this challenge if you will have me. Rusl is right; this could be our last chance at uniting the provinces."

Fado was about to speak against him, but chose to stay silent. He certainly wasn't going to volunteer himself.

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><p>Link left Rusl's house in a hurry. He needed to breathe. But before he could really get away he heard someone call after him.<p>

"Link!"

Link turned around to see Rusl close behind him. "Yes, my lord?"

"You know I wouldn't have volunteered you if I didn't think you were ready for something like this."

Link's expression remained composed. He wasn't one for showing much emotion. "Of course sir. Who else would be going if it weren't me?" A small smile played onto the young man's lips. Though he wouldn't have been his own first choice, his charm certainly made him a great candidate and it was true that they needed someone that could defend themselves on the trip.

"Wonderful. You will leave tomorrow morning. I will see to it that Epona is ready for your journey. Rest well, you have a big voyage ahead." Rusl patted Link firmly on his back before turning around and heading straight towards his house.

Before Link had a chance to clear his head, he heard a much more feminine voice call his name. "Link!" Running towards him was Illia, the daughter of the late Lord Bo. He could say that they were friends; however Link was more often pestered by the girl and her group of friends.

The girls of the village had a tendency to laugh at giggle around him. He was very handsome; but he often kept to himself. Perhaps they were intrigued by the mystery of all of it: the orphan boy who was good with a sword and didn't speak much unless he was spoken to. Either way, it got bothersome after awhile.

"Hello Illia."

"Oh Link! Is it true that you're going to be leaving for Hyrule Castle tomorrow? That's so dangerous! What about Epona?"

"I suppose you listened in on the meeting then?"

"Why does that matter? What if something happens to you? I don't think I could bear to go on."

Link laughed to himself. "Illia. I'll be fine. Now go home. It's getting late and a girl like you shouldn't be out at this hour."

Illia huffed at his suggestion. "Oh Link. You know I'm not a girl. I'm a woman. With feelings and … needs."

She was flirting. That was apparent. But he was in no mood for this right now and frankly, he wasn't interested. As children Illia was always teasing him, but now he couldn't get her to leave him alone. "Excuse me for my mistake." Without another word, Link brushed past her and headed toward the direction of his house.

It was on the outskirts of the village, closer to the woods. His parents had lived there before him, and while Rusl had asked him several times to stay in the village where he would be closer, Link refused. He liked being by himself, plus he preferred the privacy.

The walk to his house didn't seem long, though Link was lost in a train of thought that involved his trip to the castle, Rusl, and what had happened last time he had attempted to venture north.

By the time he got to his house, night had completely fallen on the Ordona province. He could hear an owl screeching in the distance.

Instead of stopping at his house, Link walked forward. He was headed toward the Ordon spring. He often went here when he needed to think. Rusl had told him to get some rest, but he was sure he wouldn't sleep tonight. Instead, he would spend the night thinking of the journey ahead of him. Perhaps this summit would really change things for the better. He certainly hoped he would be able to represent his province well. After all, a lot was resting on his shoulders.


	3. Attacked

Three days. That's how long it would take him to reach Hyrule Castle. Not necessarily a long journey or anything, but it was a lot when thinking about the current state the country was in.

Link had left Ordon Village about a day ago. He wasn't very good with goodbyes, however the whole village was there to send him off. At least this journey would leave him with some alone time, he was in desperate need of it. It seemed that lately he couldn't get any time by himself. Either Rusl needed him for something, or Illia or the children of the village were following around like ducklings. He didn't mind mostly, but sometimes it got tiresome being the only guy that everyone seemed to want to be around. Being surrounded by people should be something that people strive towards, but Link found himself always wanting something more. Something, different. Ever since his parents died, he felt like something or someone was missing, and he just wanted to feel whole again.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Really, he was hoping he wouldn't be thinking this much on this trip. Epona wasn't riding especially fast today; he wanted her to pace herself throughout the journey. Plus, he really didn't want Illia to get on him for wearing the mare out. She definitely wouldn't leave him alone for days if that happened. She was always bugging him about Epona, she was his horse for crying out loud!

Lost in his thoughts, Link barely even noticed when the sun set and the sky became dark. He probably could've made it to the castle in a few more hours, but he needed rest. He stopped Epona and swung his leg over her, jumping down and landing onto the hard earth. Inspecting the area, he could see that there was a freshwater stream flowing along the mountains. He was sure it went to Lake Hylia. Although he had never been there, he learned about the geography of the country from his parents when he was young. Rusl also had many books that he would read in his spare time, the little of that that there was. He had always dreamt of going to Hyrule Castle, and it was making him anxious that he'd be arriving there no later than tomorrow night.

Before long, Link had set up camp for himself. He built a small fire and found shelter in an overhang of rocks. It wasn't raining, though with the unpredictable weather of Hyrule, he wasn't sure that would be the case later on in the night.

Epona was near grazing on some grass near the river, Link was just about to lay down under the rocks when he heard a twig break behind him. He waited and listened is silence, slowly moving his hand toward the shaft on his sword. He stood still, but all he could hear was the river flowing and crickets chirping. Relaxing a bit, he walked toward the shelter he had made for himself.

Without any warning, he was slashed in the side with a blade, a big cut gaping just above his upper ribs on the side of his torso. The wound wasn't fatal, though it would be if he let himself bleed for too long. Not wanting to waste any time, Link sheathed his sword pointing it at the enemy. His enemy was covered in a helmet, but no bigger than the size of a regular man.

They began to fight, slashing and swiping at each other. The assailant was good fighter, especially because Link wasn't able to reach his shield in time. The man's helmet gave him a slight advantage, causing Link to aim for his attacker's abdomen.

The enemy got a good slice in his right wrist prior to Link stabbing him square in the gut. The enemy fell to his knees crying out, but grunted and stood back up. The enemy mounted his horse, but before he could ride away, Link pulled out his bow and shot him square in the back, causing the helmeted man to fall from his horse and crash onto the ground. Link looked at him in disgust. "What is your name?" he demanded, but it was too late. The man was dead.

Link held himself where he was wounded, trying to apply pressure. He was growing weak fast, all his energy being used on the fight he just partook in. He walked shortly in the opposite direction of the dead man towards the river before everything went black.

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><p>Zelda and Impa hadn't made it that far from the castle before Zelda felt a small pang of guilt settle into her stomach. She hadn't left her father so much as a note, and he would surely think she was kidnapped. Perhaps, she was creating more trouble for herself than was necessary. At the same time though, this was principal. Her father wanted her to marry Zant for Hyrule's sake! That man- if you could even call him that- was a disgusting thug that only did Ganon's bidding.<p>

Shaking her head, Zelda continued to stalk away further away from the castle with Impa behind her. "Your highness, perhaps you should rest. You don't want to get il-" Zelda turned to look at Impa and frowned. "Impa. I want to get as far away from that place as humanly possible. We are NOT stopping now!"

They had just reached the river when Impa pointed to a horse near by. "Your majesty! Look! There is a horse, but where is its horseman?"

The two woman continued to look around in fear that her father, or worse, Ganon had found out about their plan to leave Castle Town for good. Zelda looked near the shore of the river "I don't see any-" But before she could finish her sentence, she spotted something near the river bank. "Impa. What is that?"

Letting her curiosity get the best of her, Zelda began to walk towards the river despite Impa begging her to leave it alone.

Once she got a closer look, Zelda realized it was a person."There's a man over there! " She dropped the bag she was carrying and ran to him, kneeling when she got to his side. She noted the heavy amount of blood on his clothes and that pooled around him. "He's still breathing!"

Impa rushed to her future queen's aid, only to feel dizzy at the sight of so much blood. "Princess, I don't think this is such a good idea. What if it's a trap? What if he's not alone?" Zelda turned to look at Impa, her hand resting on the man's chest. "He's hurt, Impa. We must help him or he'll die!"


End file.
